


As The Sun Rises Upon Us

by hinotoriii



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), mentions of other marvel characters - Freeform, very brief mentions of an original character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 00:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14759438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hinotoriii/pseuds/hinotoriii
Summary: His heart thumps loudly, achingly in his chest. Thor’s eyes clench shut for a second, fighting against the chance that itcouldbe nothing, just wishful thinking on his part, before slowly,slowly,he turns.Thor’s breath stutters. His mind blanking out of pure disbelief at what he sees.It isn’t possible. Itcan’tbe.An AU fix-it fic for one of the bad things™ gifted to us by Infinity War.





	As The Sun Rises Upon Us

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written fic for Marvel before, but I guess there's a first time for everything.
> 
> Just a little fix-it fic from me to those that are still broken hearted over the fate of our favourite Trickster God.
> 
> Enjoy ❤

Thor never thought that the simple act of living would be this hard.

After Thanos, no one really knows what to do next. The world - no, _the universe itself_ \- is in chaos, yet no one knows how to fix it. No one knows if it even can _be_ fixed, the thought that ‘this is it’ something that lingers in the darkest parts of all their minds, despite how reluctant anyone is to voice it aloud. To voice it is to admit defeat, and to admit defeat means …

… well. It means many things.

It means Tony has failed the closest thing he ever had to a son.

It means the rabbit - or, as Thor has since been told, the creature named Rocket - is alone, the closest thing to family he’s ever known gone.

It means this beautiful kingdom that many of them remain in has lost its new King.

It means Steve walks around, haunted, missing the one person alive who had been with him through the horrors met in two different lifetimes.

For Thor, it means the loss of Loki.

When he’d first been left alone with his thoughts Thor had been angry. He felt as if he’d _just_ gotten his brother - the one he loved and adored so much as they both grew up together - back at last, only for him to be ripped away once more. He’d seen the terror dawn upon Loki’s face when Thanos’s ship came into view; how it had paled, any hints of a smirk fallen in place of pure fear. He can still remember how Loki had turned to him, serious for once, and told him with urgency to trust in his actions.

Thor remembers how Loki traded the tesseract for his life, how as the Hulk flew himself into an attack Loki as good as threw himself towards Thor, catching him as he fell from Thanos’s grasp. Thor remembers the panicked moment shared between them as Loki quickly checked over him, remembers the way something like finality spread across Loki’s features as Loki stared at him for a long moment, before turning his head and moving away, silently repeating the words he’d spoken earlier.

_Trust in my actions, Thor._

The images of how Thanos held him off the ground so effortlessly, the way Loki’s neck had snapped so loudly are burnt into Thor’s mind forevermore. Even now Thor can still feel the echo of that thunderous roar he hadn’t been able to let out as he watched his brothers body thrown so haphazardly to one side, how Loki lay silent, eyes open and unstaring.

It wasn’t _fair._

Amongst the anger is the pain, the heartache. There still remained so much he hadn’t told Loki, instead believing there would be more time. Thor hates how his last words to him were those of disappointment, especially now that he understands things so much better. It had been Banner that later spoke with him, telling him how it made sense to him now - why Loki had attacked New York all those years ago, how Thanos held an iron grip on him even then. It was so easy now to see why Loki had feared Thanos as much as he had done; it would have been foolish for anyone _not_ to fear him, especially with the power he wielded.

Not that it really matters much now. As each day passes the lingering remains of hope within them all dims. And despite how much he fights the unwelcome presence of such a thought, how much it tears him up inside to once again be mourning him, Thor finds himself on the rocky path of learning to accept that Loki wasn’t coming back.

Not this time.  
  


* * *

 

It’s late by the time Thor retires to the room that’s been designated for him. His body feels heavy with exhaustion, what with aiding in the search of a way to reverse what Thanos has done. Hours had been dedicated in that day alone to Thor and Rocket helping with the researching over old books provided by Wong; whilst Bruce, Tony and Shuri debated over the possibility of finding a scientific solution to the problem. The others who remained - as well as the Ant and the Wasp, and Clint, all three of who had shown up soon after everything had gone to shit - had been out helping civilians, once again trying to settle the still growing panics in the world surrounding them.

Despite his tiredness however sleep manages to elude Thor. He can barely even remember the last time he’d slept properly - perhaps it was during his time on Sakaar, or - more likely - even before then. The weeks have since managed to blur given all that’s been happening, and Thor has come to accept the struggle as something considered normal. Most nights he spends one of two ways; either lying upon a bed staring up at the ceiling, letting all the poison thoughts and waking nightmares he holds back throughout the day into his mind, or he stares out the window, looking out across the stretch of war torn - yet somehow still beautiful - land that is Wakanda.

Tonight appears to be one of his better nights.

Thor stands shirtless by the window, forehead pressed against an arm he rests upon the glass, and all the while he silently watches the numerous lights illuminating the image of the nearby city. The lighting reflects on him, casting long, stretching shadows against the walls of the dimly lit room.

His concentration is so focused that Thor doesn’t notice the flicker of magic that appears behind him. Nor does he become overly aware of the figure that is suddenly present in his room with him. He spots an image reflected in the glass, but given what - _who_ \- it is that he sees, Thor takes it as yet another cruel trick his mind has decided to play on him.

It’s not until he hears a voice - one that, although slightly rougher than he remembers, Thor would always know the owner to - that his whole body freezes. It is just one, simple word which is spoken, but to him it is everything.

“Brother.”

His heart thumps loudly, achingly in his chest. Thor’s eyes clench shut for a second, fighting against the chance that it _could_ be nothing, just wishful thinking on his part, before slowly, _slowly,_ he turns.

Thor’s breath stutters. His mind blanking out of pure disbelief at what he sees.

It isn’t possible. It _can’t_ be.

For there, leaning against a wall for support but otherwise standing, is none other than Loki himself.

A Loki that, just as Thor himself, has seen better days.

There is a long stretch of a moment where Thor just stares, too frightened to blink for the mere possibility that doing so would cause Loki to vanish before his very eyes. He eventually takes a tentative step forward and, seeing how Loki remains present, hurries to take another. And another, until finally he’s standing before him.

Loki stares back at him in a way Thor has never seen before, with something like relief and sadness reflected in his eyes. His mouth moves, working to say something, but before he can get the words out Thor has thrown his arms around him, pulling Loki into a fierce embrace.

He’s real.

Loki’s form is solid and familiar, and _real_. Thor’s hands grasp tightly against his brothers shoulders, squeezing at the fabric of Loki’s clothes. He buries his gasp into Loki’s mess of hair, ignoring how tears are now falling from his eyes. Thor feels the way Loki relaxes slightly against him, how his own arms wrap around Thor as tightly as Thor’s do around him. He can feel the warmth of breath against his collarbone as Loki speaks, so very quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

The words have Thor shaking his head, not moving from where he’s buried his face into his brothers hair.

“There is nothing to forgive.”

Loki lets out a sound akin to a laugh mixed with a strangled sob. Thor continues to hold on to him tightly for a long moment, before eventually Loki moves. He doesn’t move away, his own arms falling from where they’re wrapped around Thor so that his hands can instead rest and grip onto his arms. Loki looks up at Thor with a watery smile, and yet all Thor can focus on is the obvious exhaustion weighing his expression and the harsh, purpling markings wrapped around his neck.

“I feared you for dead,” Loki finally says, the words catching Thor’s attention. “When people started fading … he really did it, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Thor replies. He doesn’t want to talk about Thanos, but he knows it’s important. And Loki deserves to know. “We’re … hoping to find a way to fix that.”

“That won’t be easy,” Loki sighs, shaking his head.

He looks about ready to collapse, and Thor quickly moves them to sit at the bottom of his bed, He helps Loki first - reluctant to let him go, even if only for a second - but quickly sits close to his side whilst Loki rubs at his forehead tiredly.

“What happened, Loki?” Thor asks, his voice gentle. “Back on the ship, I thought you -“

“Died?” Loki cuts in, the word prompting Thor to wince at the resurfacing memory it brings. Loki continues. “If it weren’t for the circumstances I’d be offended that you believe I would face my greatest foe with nothing but a dagger, brother. However, I admit that I am … sorry for fooling you. It was not my intention to cause you pain.”

“I already told you, there’s nothing to forgive. You’re ... _alive_. That means more to me than you can know. I just want to understand _how._ ”

Thor places his hand on Loki’s shoulder - a selfish comfort, to further remind him that Loki’s form was solid beside him. Given how Loki doesn’t shy away from it, it’s likely a welcome comfort for him also.

“The me you saw facing Thanos was an illusion I created. One of my more powerful ones, too. I put as much of my magic into projecting it as I could, knowing that I needed to make it seem as real as possible. As you can tell, I succeeded in that regard.”

Loki gestures to the bruising on his neck — an evident reminder of just how successful his deception had proven. The sight of the markings alone are enough to reignite that burning fury Thor carries within him, a fury reserved purely for the numerous wrongdoings Thanos has brought onto so many.

“The effort and strain of holding such a form when the form itself was put under such stress weakened me significantly. I was nearly drained completely of my power, but I knew there was still so much left to do if our people were to have any hope of survival. So, with the help of the Valkyrie and that Kronan friend of yours, I pushed forward with my plan. I knew you’d likely make it back to Midgard after Thanos left with the infinity stone, given of course that he still respected my exchange for your life.”

“You had a plan?” Thor asks.

It’s not that he doubts Loki would - Loki is known to have backup plans for his backup plans, and he’s always seemingly two steps ahead on any playing field - but everything on that ship had happened so suddenly that there had barely been time to think before the first shots were fired against them.

A small, triumphant smile pulled against the corners of Loki’s lips.

“Not all our people are dead, Thor.”

The words hit Thor, and he suddenly remembers. Realises.

Loki had sent out the distress signal whilst Valkyrie, Korg, Meik and Bruce tried to load as many of the Asgardians as they could onto a second ship. Heimdall had been by Thor's’ side as they attempted to prepare what little defences they had in the limited time they had, and Thor didn’t even see his brother again until Thanos and his Black Order were already onboard.

But Thor understands now that Loki had never truly left the Asgardian people they had managed to rescue. He had been with them the whole time, likely protecting them as they narrowly escaped from death. It had been that illusion he had crafted which had faced Thanos with them.

It’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination for Thor to disbelieve the new truth he has discovered, not after how Loki had aided in the fight against Hela. And Thor definitely knows his brother is far more powerful in his abilities than even he has seen. After all, Loki never did like revealing every card he held available to play.

“And so you finally work it out.”

Breaking out of his thoughts Thor returns his focus onto his brother, who looks at him with an exhausted yet proud grin.

“You master your abilities in a way far greater than I truly know.”

“I have been telling you that myself for years.” Loki replies, his eyes falling heavily while he fights against a wave of tiredness. He likely hasn’t rested in weeks judging from his appearance, and Thor’s hold on him tightens.

“You can tell me more. Everything, but ... later. Right now you need to rest, Loki.”

“Rest,” Loki breathes out in a laugh, leaning further into Thor’s hold. “That feels like a novelty.”

Gently, Thor guides Loki so he can lay down upon the large bed. He stays beside him, wrapping his arms around Loki’s smaller frame protectively. Thor can’t help but think of how their positions are reminiscent to when they would lay with one another as children, a time long that feels so long ago to them both now. He thinks of the nights where Loki would search for comfort from the sound of raging storms which worried him out of his sleep, or how they would sneak into each other’s rooms just to stay up all night talking, laughing.

They were simple, childlike pleasures, ones which Thor had believed they would never share again - that he would never be able to _have_ again. The fact they can, and that they are ...

… it is overwhelming.

“I found allies,” Loki says, buried within Thor’s embrace. “Mostly yours, but … they will help if you and your friends take a fight to Thanos once more.”

“Loki. I do not care if you have reached out to that witch friend of yours, or even our terror of a sister herself. All I really care about right now is that you are here, _alive_. And that you came back.”

Loki curls up smaller, closer. Thor feels how he presses a tentative hand over where his heart beats within his chest.

“You may doubt my actions at times, but never doubt that I would find a way to return to you. I’ll always come back.”

There will be time later for them to speak in greater detail. Time for Loki to tell Thor that he had, in fact, found the witch he spoke of, but that he’d also managed to find Sif too. He would tell him how the Asgardians were currently in a place he’d learnt was known as Norway, and that the Valkyrie was aiding Sif with finding them food, supplies and shelter while they settled and mourned what had become of their once great people. There will be time for Thor to tell his brother of the search for Thanos, to ask for Loki’s aid once more, to learn of Loki’s knowledge of the girl Nebula.

Perhaps, there will even be time for Loki to share with Thor of his past with Thanos - or at least to enlighten him on just how deep the scars of his torture by the Titans hand run.

For now, however, the night remains for them. A stolen spell of a moment to bathe in the reality of being alive. And of being reunited. In the morning Thor will wake to fear he dreamt it all, until his eyes fall on where Loki will be standing, staring silently out the large window, contemplative as he watches the sun rising over Wakanda’s hills.

And Thor will remember what was said to him, moments before he thought Loki had been taken from him for good.

_I assure you brother, the sun will rise on us again._


End file.
